- Two screening personnel were injured at Varanasi airport on Sunday morning after a pistol carried by a passenger on an Air India Express flight was accidentally discharged during security checks.
- The incident occurred at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport at around 9.30 am, when the passenger, identified as Kamlesh Kedarnath Rai, declared a licensed firearm (7.62 mm pistol with 21 live cartridges) at the check-in counter.
- During the handling and inspection of the weapon, a round was accidentally discharged, injuring two screening personnel, Rohit Raj and Suman Kumari.
- Both injured screeners were taken to New Lakshmi Trauma Centre for treatment.
- The passenger was detained for investigation, and senior police officers arrived at the spot.
- BCAS is examining the circumstances leading to the incident, including adherence to prescribed procedures for handling and carriage of licensed weapons at airports.
- The Ministry of Civil Aviation confirmed the incident, stating that the situation was promptly contained and airport operations continued without disruption.
- Under existing rules, a firearm may be legally transported on a flight only if it is completely unloaded and stored in a locked, hard-sided container.
Two screening personnel were injured at Varanasi airport when a passenger's licensed pistol accidentally discharged during security checks on Sunday morning. The incident occurred around 9:30 am as the passenger, identified as Kamlesh Kedarnath Rai, was preparing to board an Air India Express flight to Mumbai.12
Rohit Raj and Suman Kumari, the injured screeners, were taken to the New Lakshmi Trauma Centre for treatment. Raj was injured in the thumb, while Kumari sustained a leg injury. The Ministry of Civil Aviation confirmed that the passenger had declared a 7.62 mm pistol with 21 live cartridges at the check-in counter, following the prescribed procedure.347
During the inspection, a round was accidentally discharged, causing injuries to the screeners. Kumari recounted, “The passenger said, 'See, it is in an unloaded condition.' While showing that, the gun discharged.” Raj added, “He pressed the trigger, pointing downwards. Maybe he thought it wouldn't fire.” The incident has prompted an investigation by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) to assess adherence to safety protocols for handling licensed weapons at airports.6
The ministry stated that the incident was promptly contained and airport operations continued without disruption. Appropriate legal action is being taken based on the findings of the investigation.
Under existing regulations, firearms must be completely unloaded and stored in a locked, hard-sided container, with ammunition stored separately.
“The injured screeners, Rohit Raj and Suman Kumari, were treated at New Lakshmi Trauma Centre; Raj said the passenger removed the magazine, saw it was loaded, then pressed the trigger downward. BCAS is probing adherence to procedures for handling licensed weapons, and the passenger, Kamlesh Kedarnath Rai, has been detained.”
